A Day in June/Eight
J U N E When everything falls apart... I stare in shock after Day. It isn't until he reaches the end of the street that I've started moving. "Everyone, after him! We have to make sure he's okay!" I climb up a building, wanting to try to see where Day went from above. I couldn't really get a good view, but I thought I saw his white-blond hair flash a few blocks down in the Opal Sector. "Commander Iparis?" I hear one of my Captains call me, "We've found Day in front of his apartment. He's panting and he hasn't moved for a full minute now." I curse and struggle to climb off the building. "Thank you, Captain, make sure he's calm when I get there." Finally, I reach the ground and I take off towards Ruby sector. Just as I round the corner and see Day sitting in front of his door, I realize something. I'm the reason Day ran off earlier. I'm the reason he's being so difficult right now. I shouldn't be here for this. But still, like in a trance, I walk forward anyways. "Day," I say calmly when I stop in front of him. "I'm truly sorry for what happened. I don't know-" "Don't say that," he says hoarsely, "You do know." I blink back tears. He hasn't looked up at me, he hasn't really acknowledged my presense other than interrupting my apology. "Look Day," I begin. "No," he snaps, standing and clenching his fists, "You look, June." I take a step back and stare at him. Around us, soldiers are silent, though I can feel their tension as if it was tangible. "Day-" "I said look," he looks up and the fire in his eyes makes me cringe, "I remember everything. I remember how you let John take my place in the firing squad because you couldn't save him. I remember Eden being taken away because you turned me in. I remember my mother dying because you led the soldiers to my house. I remember our argument in that tunnel because you were the reason I lost everything." I feel myself tremble. I can still remember the heat of that argument too. It still pained me to think about that, and now that Day mentions it, I can feel a hot knife of pain stab through my heart. He knows the words hurt, but he keeps going, the anger and grief in his eyes unmistakenable. "After you told me, I had to give you another try. Because I also remembered that I desperately loved you. It hurt so much because I loved you. So I gave you another chance." I can barely breathe. "I was wrong to do so," Day whispers, "Eden and Tess are the only things like family I have left. And you let them get captured." Tears threaten to spill but I angrily wipe them away. "What about me?" I protest, "Don't I mean anything to you?" Day glares at me with such intensity that I flinch and I feel real tears pour down my face. "You?" he spits out, "You are the reason they're about to die!" With that said, he whirls around and flings the door open to his apartment before storming in and slamming the door shut. I stand there, paralyzed. "Commander Iparis?" One of the Captains ask politely, "Do you want us to-" "Please just leave me alone," I push past them and begin to walk towards my own apartment, "I need time to think, if you don't mind." As I walk away, I realize why Day sat there next to his door. He knew I would come after him to try to reason with him. He wanted me to catch up to him. So he could break my heart. ~ I can't stop thinking about Day. Everything he said was true, but I feel like it was unfair of him to blame it all on me. Our recent argument only reminds me more and more of our quarrel in the tunnel. Day had blamed me for the death of his family members, John and his mother. Now he was blaming me for the capture of Tess and Eden, his closest friend and his last remaining family member. Of course I meant nothing to him. It still hurts, knowing he just pushed all the blame and responsibility onto my shoulders. I square them and take a deep breath. Time to try to figure out where Tess and Eden were. I click on my mike and call one of my Captains. "Captain Brooke, can you locate where the rebels went? Do you know their location and possible places they might be hanging around?" The captain takes some time to reply. "Yes, Commander Iparis, I can. Other troops have been passing rumors that the rebels are taking refugee in the Lake Sector. Do you want to send troops over to see if that's true?" The Lake Sector, where I had first met Day. It's an appropriate spot for the rebels to choose. "I'll check it out myself," I tell her, "Do you know where exactly they are?" "No, ma'am, we only know that it's rumored that the rebels have a station there. It's likely they will keep their...new prisoners near us so they can use them for leverage. It's safe to guess that the two will not be taken to the Colonies or wherever they are situated." I take in all this and store it in my brain. "Thank you, Captain. I'll keep in touch with you while I investigate the area." "Do you want soldiers to accompany you, Commander?" "No thank you." I click off my mike before Captain Brooke can protest and set out. I'm still in my uniform, which makes me pause. I can't step foot into Lake without alerting the rebels that a high-ranked Commander was in the sector. I change clothes, donning an old scarf that is ragged and faded. I find a pair of ripped jeans that I didn't bother throwing away and a faded t-shirt. It's a good thing I decided to keep old clothes in case I needed them. Scrubbing mud and dirt over my face when I reach the Alta Sector, I slip into Lake. I act as though I know this place as well as Day does, and I keep my head low. With my eyes, I search for possible places the rebels would stay. They wouldn't be holed up together, at least not in public. But they would be wearing their rebel insigmas all the time. It was over their hearts, as Day informed me during the fight. I search with my eyes, but I don't see anything strange. Most of the clothes are see are similar to mine. A few are in clad black, but I don't see anything over their heart. Suddenly something catches my eye. A person is holding their heart over their heart with two fingers. Then he lowers his head and I catch sight of something scribbled on his clothes. Then I turn to see another person turning away. He must have been signaling to that person. I follow the first person at a safe distance, keeping my eyes trained on his head. He veers down the corner at Figueroa and Watson and I realize where we're going. My hunch is right. The rebel disappears into Day's quarantined house. I have a lead now.